Wrong Gary

Not an amendment to my prediction, of course… since the Lightning ended the series against the Islanders tonight with an overtime goal to win 3-2. Series final tally was 4-1.

I was wrong. I guessed they’d lose tonight and win in six on Long Island. I was wrong. I’ve never been more happy to be wrong in my life.

If you think I’m being dramatic, you obviously didn’t watch the game on ESPN. A goal that wasn’t a goal until it was (Isles), a goal that was a goal until it wasn’t (Bolts). Two Lightning goals w/in about 2 minutes of each other to take the lead in the second… and Parrish’s redirect in the third to tie it up and take it, ultimately, to overtime. That’d be sudden-death overtime.

Given my prediction, I would have been seriously fucking pissed off if the Lightning won their fourth game anywhere other than Tampa. Chico and Amie (my brother and sister-in-law, respectively) deserved to see the win in person, damnit. Bolts season ticket holders for how long? And my bro bought me my “official” Lightning sweater for my 21st birthday back in 1993.

But that’s all retrospection now.

Probably four seconds after Martin St. Louis (the NHL’s leading scorer) bounced his shot off the short-side post to go top-shelf (with the peanut butter for the Canadians) on Dipietro, I called my brother’s cell phone and was answered with an audibly assaulting crash of white noise from the fans in Tampa.

Chico: Whoooooooooooooooooooooo!Me: Fucking Marty St. Louis! Marty St. Louis, motherfucker!Chico: See you on Friday, bro!
*beep*Me: Awesome! Dude another call! See you Friday! Fucking Marty St. Louis! Awesome! Seeya!

Fuckin’ midget! At least they had the decency to do it at home instead of making the opposing fans sit through multiple overtimes before having their hearts broken (*cough* last year *cough*).

I will now predict that the Bolts will lose the next round in 7. Don’t know who they play yet, but I am hoping to see whoever it is beat the Bolts! But not before Gary gets to see a playoff win in person because, even though you’re a schmuck, you deserve that! ;-)